Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-03-17
THE HEALTH OF THE STATE
COMPULSORY oLBANLINEss hAW
ASKED F0R.
The state secresary's official ne.
pert 40 the General Assembly Enl.
bodies Urgaus SAuItary s.egIsIa ON
and nn Increased appr0prin. ION.

Of the Secretsr ry of State Board of Health
Frazer's statement to the General Assem-
bly, ut Dover
Gentiemsn OF ne General ASSEMBLY of
tho State Of Deiaaoars' am here in the
interest of all the people Of the State of
Delaware. The subject OF health and the
registration Of vital statistics is Of such
Importance, not only to the people Of this
State, but to all the people OF the several
states, that you are urged to give the sub
ject that attention and consideration
which Will place our State In the front
rank In the matter Of health by giving
our people such sanitary laws as will en-
able those in authority to protect our
people from preventable diseases. The
population of our State in 1880 was
lac, 900 divided rs follows, "A, 900 malesa and
72,O00 females. We have increased very
much since the census of 1880. BY a
careful review estimate the population
10 be Mt this time l70, 900. Our State
wAs settled In 1898, with an area
Of 2, 100 square miles, comprisinQ
1,09O, ,245 acres Of land. The farms In our
State are now valued at $36, ,789, ,672, live
stock "a ,000, 900, valuation of cities and
towns 100000, 900, annual products
manufactured $40 900, 900, agricultural
products $40, 900, 900. Making a total of
$15D, 900, 900 besides the personal property
and Investments. We can without doubt
say that we are not poor, when "a, 900
voters representing 10000 people, are
worth more than $500, 900 900. We have
good climate, and could have pure
water II we would, but in many instances
II Is polluted by the negligence of fami-
lies, and town corporations. Estimating
our population to be 10000 find we
have 10000 people living in cities,
towns, and villages and 10000 residing
on farms and engaged in agricultural
pursuits.
We have one city whose population is
$4,000, one city over 5000, four towns
over 1000, ten towns over 200, seven
towns over 500, fifteen villages over 800.
Boards of health are established in the
following cities and towns Wilmington,
New CASTLE, Newark, Middletown, Smyrna,
Dover, Georgetown, Milford, Milton, Fred
erica, Lewes, Laurel, Seaford, Bridgeville
DAD Boards of health should be estab-
lished in ali The towns having a popula-
tion Of 800 inhabitants.
There is much work 10 be done by our
local boards of health, that if neglected,
may cause disease, suffering and death.
Lot me say just here, that il death oc-
ours in any city, town, village or in the
country in this State, or any other state,
and upon investigation it is found that
said death was caused by filth, which
caused or created the disease, and the
persons upon whose premises the fifth
WIS found, refuse to remove and abate
the nuisance after having been notified
of the fact of said nuisance being upon
his premises, be guilty of criminal negli-
gence, and punished by fine and i'm
prisonment The time is at hand when
the law for the protection Of the
public health should be as sweeping aud
az enforceable as the criminal law. The
laws of Delaware for the preservation Of
the public health outside OF Wilmington,
and except the law In regard tU
the pollution of any stream
whereby the inhabitants Of any city
or town use the water for drinking pur-
poses, are dead letter, and are of no
use. We ask you, gentlemen, to pass the
amendments prepared by o committee OF
the State board, and adopted by the
board. These amendments may seem
severe, but we believe il they be enacted,
and our people made acquainted with
them, no sane person would refuse to
hbate nuisance found upon his premises,
after notice to do so from local board OF
health. We believe law cannot be too
severe when comfort, health and life are
Rt stake. Pass these amendments, and
we will place them in every family in the
State outside of Wilmington. When you
desire to inform all the people of COM
munity on any subject, or TO divert their
attention to special matter, go to the
school. houses and request the teacher to
inform the pupils of the contents of cir
cular, and distribute them to each family
through the pupil.
The subject Of vaccination is one that
deserves your special attention. Every
man, woman and child in the State should
be vaocinated. The present law upon the
subject is good law, if there were q
penalty attached for its enforcement.
House drainage, ventilation, hygiene OF
houses, pollution of water, springs, wells
and streams, school buildings and ven
tilation, infectious diseases in schools,
the danger of keeping pigs and other ami
mails near human habitations, slaughter
house nuisanceR these subjects our
people need information upon. Every
family should be informed upon the mat
ter of precautions against zymotie d.
sease. This can be done by leaving
printed circulars at the school-houset
and causing the pupils to be instructed to
take them home to their parents.
The inspection Of milk and food hal
long been neglected by our people; they
should be carefully guarded by law.
II is important that cesspools and
closets and wells connected with RAILROAD
stations be carefully examined, as il
times of epidemic they are often tn
starting points OF specific contagion. Th'
same is true of hotels and places o
public assembly.
In many cities and towns, dwellings ar
rented that are not habitable. Wilmington
has many Of such dwellings. These so
called dwellings, are to be found in marrow
streets, courts, and alleys, they are dark
damp, and often foul, the cellars are we
and mucky, very often filled with water
They are occupied by poor, hard workin
men, who earn but from So to 10 pc
week. They are obliged to rent cheal
houses. They do not know the conditiol
of the house uutil they live in it during
hard rain.Btorm, that they then lind on
TO their sorrow. The wife, who does tn
renting, makes complaint to the heartles
agent, and he promises to drain the cellar
and make the house comfortable, but
does nothing but demand the ren
when due, and threatens to DIS
tress them il not promptly PAID
Finally the husband is sick with pneumc
mia or rheumatism and physician
called in. He reports that the house
not habitable, and that the man canno
get we'll while he remains in the house
The wife goes to the agent with not
from the physician, stating that the houf
is not fit to live in. The agent says 70
cannot move unless you pay the rent fo
the balance of the year-say five or 81
months. No attention is paid to tn
physician, and complaint is made 10 I'll
board of health, who examine the prem
ises and declare il to be nuisance hazare
ous to health, but that does not releas
the tenant, the law is against him, he hf
no redress, he cannot pay an attorney
help him out; no, he must lie there an
suffer, and probably die. ! earnestii
urge upon the General Assemoi
10 pass an act that will prote'
the poor workingman, protest Ill
In his rights and cause the owner or agei
TO provide for his health and comfort 0
making his home habitable before he CO
distress him for any rent. Also conf,
the power upon the local Board OF Heaii
70 examine any house used for dweiiit
and decide If said house Is hazardous
the health of the occupants and haoltao
or not. And II declared to be not hapl
able the tenant to be exempt from u
payment of rent from the time he or az
member Of his family become sick, sur
sickness being caused by the house n
ha,,,,, ha1,;taIia cartihoate from q